Don't think that cause there hasn't been postings here in a while that LETLAR has gone anywhere.....it is breeding and incubating right this very moment across the entire solid portion of this planet. Every second that tics brings people closer to the understanding, to the realization that we are one of natures many messy accidents alone on a blue dot hurdling through space waiting for the moment ....the perfect moment to start thinking for ourselves

Gamma - The Moral Code and Virtue In Selfishness

(I am publishing this as an incomplete thought hoping that you are the readers and participants of LETLAR can help in the refining of a concept that all virtue stems from our own selfish acts)



LETLAR

Gamma

Chapter I



Morality



We are not virtuous in spite of our own inherent selfishness, but are virtuous because of our inherent selfishness.



At first glance, that statement may seem backwards. It is contrary to all that we have been taught about life. A man comes to virtue through salvation, through disciplined living etc. Nevertheless, virtue is every bit about being selfish. In addition, once we understand our own selfishness we can release ourselves of the burden of being saved and work toward resolutions that not only benefit ourselves but those who share the world around us.



Even when it appears to the contrary like we do something generous for another person there is still selfish intentions.

1.) It makes us feel good – Hedonistic and selfish by definition

2.) We gain benefit of reprisal for actions deemed as unselfish – you scratch mine I scratch your

3.) We gain reputation for being selfless – that helps us prosper – an ulterior motive we are not always aware of.



To understand the nature of human selfishness we need a layman grasp of the prisoner’s dilemma and an understanding of how this affects human behavior.





Prisoner’s dilemma and Game Theory (http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/PRISDIL.html)



“The game got its name from the following hypothetical situation: imagine two criminals arrested under the suspicion of having committed a crime together. However, the police do not have sufficient proof in order to have them convicted. The two prisoners are isolated from each other, and the police visit each of them and offer a deal: the one who offers evidence against the other one will be freed. If none of them accepts the offer, they are in fact cooperating against the police, and both of them will get only a small punishment because of lack of proof. They both gain. However, if one of them betrays the other one, by confessing to the police, the defector will gain more, since he is freed; the one who remained silent, on the other hand, will receive the full punishment, since he did not help the police, and there is sufficient proof. If both betray, both will be punished, but less severely than if they had refused to talk. The dilemma resides in the fact that each prisoner has a choice between only two options, but cannot make a good decision without knowing what the other one will do.”



We play the prisoners dilemma every time we interact with another person. Do we lie? Do we cheat? Do we steal? Do we remain truthful? We decide based on a variety of factors such as what will the other person think? How well do we know them? What will they do? How will this effect future interaction with this person?



We come to virtue because it is in our own benefit. As practitioners of LETLAR, we understand that life is a marathon not a track meet. That the un-virtuous person is prosperous for only a short amount of time, while the virtuous person is prosperous for a lifetime.

We need only to understand the paradigm of the hustler and the honest man to see this illustration.

The hustler takes advantage of situations through, deception, violence, intimidation.

The honest man makes gains through generosity, empathy and integrity.

Which man would you rather do business with?

Which man will prosper longer?

Prosperity and the need for a good name in business is in your best interest and inherently selfish even if its connotation is not explicit.



LETLAR Practices generous tit-for tat.

Beta - The Philosophy Of LETLAR

(I am publishing this as an incomplete thought hoping that you are the readers and participants of LETLAR can help in the refining of a concept of the overall philosophy something along the lines though that a balanced hedonistic life of exploration through logic and reason is the rewarding fulfillment of needs and the pursuit of truth)



LETLAR

Beta

Chapter I


Philosophy


LETLAR as a philosophy is a balanced hedonistic exploration of life through logic and reason.


It is balanced in the sense that we accept that we are selfish creatures of pleasure and generally do that which we enjoy. We borrow heavily from the works of Aristotle in the sense that we try to strive to maintain the mean. A person who operates at either end of the extremes of virtue and emotion is the person burning the candle at both end so to speak.

A person who refrains from every battle is a coward and the person who rushes into every battle is a fool. It the person who uses logic and reason to decide the best course of action based on the circumstances and choices the mean that is the participant of LETLAR.

Beta - The Philosophy Of LETLAR

(I am publishing this as an incomplete thought hoping that you are the readers and participants of LETLAR can help in the refining of a concept of the overall philosophy something along the lines though that a balanced hedonistic life of exploration through logic and reason is the rewarding fulfillment of needs and the pursuit of truth)



LETLAR

Beta

Chapter I


Philosophy


LETLAR as a philosophy is a balanced hedonistic exploration of life through logic and reason.


It is balanced in the sense that we accept that we are selfish creatures of pleasure and generally do that which we enjoy. We borrow heavily from the works of Aristotle in the sense that we try to strive to maintain the mean. A person who operates at either end of the extremes of virtue and emotion is the person burning the candle at both end so to speak.

A person who refrains from every battle is a coward and the person who rushes into every battle is a fool. It the person who uses logic and reason to decide the best course of action based on the circumstances and choices the mean that is the participant of LETLAR.

Random LETLAR Point of Interest

Instead of saying Bless you when someone sneezes the new saying in LET you.

TGIF is Now TLIF (Thank logic its Friday) After all it is not a random event that Fridays happen on a MOD 7 basis

We do not "pray for" but are "mindful of" there is the heavy distinction here that we are not asking others to solve our problems but are still empathic and vocal to our fellow human beings in their time of need.

Alpha Chapter Two

LETLAR
Alpha
Chapter Two

(L)
Question: Shouldn't it be the job of every human being to question, to evaluate what is the truth? And do these questions only pertain to faith, or to all aspects of life? And if it is the job of all humans to question, then does that mean that in some way, all humans are agnostics?

Questions and evaluations is an important part of the battle of LETLAR. Equally important in this equation is accepting the answer. Changing the paradigm that we view the world through and acting on new information to come to a greater understanding of the world. Questions are good, but if we do not replace our believes with the new answers that we come to we fail to grow. We then become a culture that bases its observations of the world and its out comes on mysticism and intuition. Intuition is a valuable component is guides us but should not be the dominating force when we are endowed with the gift of thought.

For example I may intuitively think the world is flat. I may question its shape. But until I discover and incorporate the answer that the world is round into my life I cannot move my thought forward. Until I understand that it is round navigation in this world and space is difficult. Predicting Weather patterns is close to impossible. Questions are good but we grow when we use the assumptions that they lead to as new platforms for understanding the world.

Alpha Chapter One

After this entry the subsequent chapters of LETLAR will be posted at the site above.
This will remain my personal blog

LETLAR
Alpha

Chapter One of the Alpha Writings

The beginning

It is not necessary for us to go all the way back to the beginning.
For it is not the job of the agnostic to claim certainty where others have done so.
It is the job of the agnostic to evaluate what is the truth based on logic and reason.
It is the job of the agnostic to hold multiple ideas in their head until one
emerges as a champion. It is the job of the agnostic to know when the champion has been beaten.
We only need to go back as far as is needed for our purposes.
To the beginning of thought. The beginning of the use of reason and logic.
In the beginning was questions. Why is it raining? Why is the ground shaking?
Questions gives rise to speculation.
Speculation gives birth to dogma and our present quandary.
Speculation and ritual are not the enemy. They should be seen as the birth mother of all that the agnostic holds as ideal.
Speculation is our beginning. It is the first attempt at man to seek and explain the truth of the world around him.
It is the birth of god. Not the otherway around. We attempt to describe our world. To show cause an effect.
With limited vocabulary and understanding we came to limited conclusions. This is not the fault of those who came before us but it is there gift to us. The ability to seek out what we don't know and explain and define it with celebration.
It is a gift we can only receive by seeking to further our understanding. We disgrace those who came before us when we accept what they did.
When we define the world using their vocabulary.

We create beginnings everyday. This too is a begging it is a middle and end. It is celebration of what makes us unique. Today at this begging I
invite you to celebrate with me our thought. Your thought. Your attempt to explain the world around you. We seek to provide no answers
only a forum for this celebration.

(Anyone else have so good thoughts on the beginning?)

Introduction to LETLAR

(Before we get to the main course it is necessary to lay a foundation for the inter working platform on which we will be standing. This first document is the housecleaning items for how the process will work in form and function. As with anything that shall be set here forth, this is a discussion and open to being commented on and changed. I will be posting subsequent entries on this topic on a different blog dedicated to the subject let me know if you would like to be an author on it and I will share it)

LETLAR
(Life Exploration Through Logic and Reason)

Introduction
LETLAR is not this document. LETLAR is not the only path towards fulfillment. LETLAR is not an absolute. LETLAR is a living, changing, evolving work in progress. LETLAR is a community that is dedicated to a pursuit of the truth, even if that truth disproves LETLAR. LETLAR is a celebration of life, its mysteries, secrets and inhabitants. LETLAR is Life Exploration Through Logic and Reason. LETLAR is courage to think for yourself. LETLAR is a paradox. LETLAR is a discussion that I invite you to participate in.

LETLAR Makes some general assumptions about the world. Assumptions mind you that are not set in stone and are willing to be overturned as evidence dictates.
1.) We believe that things are knowable, even if we do not yet know them.
2.) That learning and understanding enriches the wonder of the world rather than diminishes it.
3.) The creation of the world and its complex systems is a naturally occurring event and not divinely inspired.
4.) That we are in charge and responsible for the outcome of our lives and world.
5.) That people of the world who write and post here should be respected and not attacked personally. It is however, our job to overturn and question ideas and convention albeit in a safe environment



Goals
1.) Create a living proclamation that documents the struggles of our culture as we move from a culture of superstition to a culture of reason.
2.) Show the world that there is morals and hope in being agnostic.
3.) Challenge the conventions of life that have been thrust upon us.
4.) Create an open community and framework that can share, discuss, exchange and debate ideas.
5.) Create a tax exempt alternative to existing religion that can aid in lifting shaping both the individual and communities that we inhabit
6.) Lay the foundation for a legacy that generations to come can build on.

LETLAR
Table of Contents

Alpha – The Beginning
Beta – The Philosophy of LETLAR
Gamma – Virtues and Moral Code of LETLAR
Delta – On Life Events
Epsilon – Charity for the Selfish Gene
Zeta – Holidays and Rituals of LETLAR
Eta – Warrior – The Power of Seven
Theta – Letters to the Non- Believers
Iota – Letters of Hope to the Faithful
Kappa - Open Ending

Phi – X – The Gospels of LETLAR

PSI - X - Gospels of the councils of seven



By – Laws
You mean there are rules to this shit?
I want to make a distinction here about organized vs. organized. What LETLAR is not is organized like our modern day religions. Where organized is synonymous with organized thought, practice and ritual. Where all thought is shaped to fit into single doorway deemed as the answer. Where deviation from this doorway is deemed as evil. Although we seek to establish some customs and norms these are meant merely to be flexible guidelines and means to celebrate our journey to understanding together. LETLAR is organized only to the effect that it is designed to help facilitate discussion and debate and through the use of these pages a better understanding of the world and humanity.


How it works and How You Participate
Principal of seven to the seventh Power
I have struggled with how to form groups for study and participation and have settled loosely on a pyramid type approach that I would be happy to disregard should a better suggestion come along and replace it.
There will be seven members to a cell and they will meet and discuss various topics and help each other lift each others understanding of the world and experience.
I would suggest the following
1.) A book club for the seven where they would read and dissect 6 books a year.
2.) Help mentor each other in their areas of expertise.
3.) Each member would then in turn recruit and mentor six disciples.
4.) At the end of the year each council of seven and each discipleship of seven would meet and write a gospel of their experiences over the year using the general gospel guidelines from below. These would then be added to the cannon of LETLAR.
5.) Once a year all groups of seven would get together and meet and talk, debating ideas and planning for the future.
6.) Your council ship would last a life time and your discipleship would last for seven years until the goals that you establish in your discipleship are completed.

Council of seven
The first seven members will make up the first council of seven. They will review and add to the cannon for period of one year. They will then go and cultivate and repeat the process with six disciples. A leader for each cell would be voted on and grouped together with leaders from other cells to form different councils who would compete against each other in the arena of thought. Competition is good and from it we see emersions of truth as long as we are competing with logic and reason we are moving forward.

Why are emotions in here?
Virtues of hope, righteousness, valor etc. May seem to be at odds with the concept of Living life thought logic and reason but in fact emotions are a logical biological response to events that we encounter so it is only natural that we discuss them and frame them in this context.

I would like everyone I know whether you wish to post it anonymously or by your name to help with the creation of your personal gospel and with writings to be included in the cannon

On the Writing of Gospels to Be Included in LETLAR
I would encourage everybody to write the gospel of his or her lives. The Gospel does not have to agree with any doctrine of LETLAR. It is a personal testimony of your life however, you wish to express it. Gospels are imperfect by nature as our thoughts are imperfect. This is not to say that we should not strive towards perfection. As we realize our own limitations and boundaries, we open ourselves up to expansion of our minds. Gospels will be included in Phi they will be printed and published by your name a number corresponding to phi (Greek for 500 X is the denomination for example 501)

Gospels could include
1.) A Synopsis of your life and how you came to your understanding of the world.
2.) Stories, parables, poems, advice or quotes that help illustrate what life means to you.
3.) Your effete or vision of the future.
4.) Your dream or nightmare of what the future holds.
5.) Definitions of the Following words – Logic, Reason, Belief, Faith, Humanity, Morality, and Life

On Adding Items to the Core Cannon
If you look at the table of context you will see very open ended chapters on virtues, life events, holidays etc. I would invite each of you to write on the subjects for example what does virtue mean to you? Integrity, or on life events, Education, Abortion, Labor laws etc. The only caveat is that you have to support your opinion using logic and reason.

This will emerge in greater form ad time goes on. Stay tuned for the Alpha......And please I beg of you trash this, rewrite it, adlib pats lets put our minds to use and leave a legacy to the world as great as I know we are.......


I love you,
Bizzio Von Sniffensnatch